GM Surprises Terminally Ill Man with Corvette C7 Seat Time

Sometimes, life just sucks. One day you’re out mowing your lawn, the next day you’ve been diagnosed with terminal bone cancer and given just months to live. That is the tragic story of what happened to 66-year old Chuck Sheldon. After going to a doctor to complain about back pain on March 17th, he was given the bad news about his bone cancer. Chuck unfortunately died earlier this month.

But the lifelong Corvette enthusiast and President of the Coastal Carolina Corvette Club got a final sendoff that would make any car enthusiast jealous. The Post and Courier reports that thanks to some well-placed friends and a few phone calls, Sheldon was able to get to sit in, and rev-up, the all-new 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray.

“Operation Chuck Sheldon” began with some friends and associates who, informed of Sheldon’s condition, put in some calls to their friends at GM. This even included Harlan Charles, the Corvette product and marketing manager. He convinced the rest of the GM bigwigs to take the first-ever production Corvette C7 straight from the Barrett-Jackson auction (where it sold for a cool $1 million) to Sheldon’s South Carolina home.

There, Sheldon was given the opportunity to sit in, rev, and enjoy (but alas, not drive) the 2014 Corvette. He thanked everyone for making his dreams come true. It’s a truly sweet story, a reminder that our passion for cars is about more than the cars themselves; it is a common bond between like-minded people who, when the chips are down, will help each other out in anyway they can.

Rest in peace Chuck. Hopefully there’s a new Corvette C7 waiting for you in the afterlife.